The Kat Files

Happy Monday, dear reader. I want to take a moment to update you on how I am doing with my August challenge. I bought myself three notebooks from Target, and I am using the red one for monitoring my goals, habits, and routines. Throughout the month of August, I have been building on three of the habits I started in July while also establishing (or not) two new habits related to self-care. In addition, I set a lofty goal of “clearing the decks” on my Goodreads account because I am SUPER behind on writing book reviews.

So, let me address Goodreads first. I have written zero book reviews. Shocking, right?! I have also added more books to my “currently reading” shelf because I am always reading. At the rate I am going, I feel strongly no book reviews will be written by the end of this month.

As for building on my habits I started in July, I am drinking a glass of water before eating lunch. My thinking was this extra glass of water would help me get across the “64 ounces of water finish line” each day. That was not the case for the first 10 days of August. I met my water goal twice with an average of 56.8 ounces of water consumed over the course of the 10 days. Not terrible!

Out of the first 10 days of this month, I consumed NO added sugar except 1/2 tsp of sugar in my morning coffee, 1 tbsp of honey in my afternoon tea, 1/2 a rice krispie treat from Buc-ee’s, and sweet treats at celebratory occasions (attended three occasions). That left me with with 6 days of no added sugar (minus 1/2 tsp in morning coffee; 1 tbsp of honey in afternoon tea). The sugar in my coffee and honey in my tea is negligible.

I am STILL on a walking streak and have either increased my distance (6 days) or integrated speed intervals (4 days) on my daily walk. My schedule for the day determines if I have time for a longer walk or not. On the days I have somewhere to be, I walk my route and periodically pick up my speed for about 30 seconds. I might do this about 6 times during that walk. I would LOVE to eventually jog those intervals. With that being said, I did have an issue with my lower back Saturday morning after my shower (might be sciatica); however, walking actually makes my back feel better, so thankfully, it has not interfered with my daily walking habit. If anything, the back pain is a warning that I have been sitting too much this summer.

Now, for my new habits, I am doing GREAT with my Joy List! However, I am doing TERRIBLE with incorporating grounding (practice of connecting one’s body to the Earth’s surface) into my daily routine. No grounding so far this month. UGH! Morning is probably the best time for grounding, but I do not want to add another habit to my morning routine. At some point in the afternoon or evening (starting with 5 minutes), I will have to pair grounding with either music or meditation (temptation bundling).

I also want to mention that I am still reading Atomic Habits with my friends on Discord. We have completed Chapters 8-10 since my last update. One of the big takeaways in Chapter 8 is Temptation Bundling which “works by linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do.” (page 109) Temptation bundling along with habit stacking seems to work for me. In Chapter 9, one of the takeaways that has been effective for me is finding a group that I have something in common with who will help me with accountability. Saturday Morning Momentum was created out of my desire to be a part of a community interested in reaching personal development goals. I love my Saturday Morning Momentum group! And, in Chapter 10, I like the idea of reframing one’s mindset, especially when dealing with a difficult task or implementing a new habit. “You don’t ‘have’ to. You ‘get’ to.” (page 131) That mindset shift is powerful, and it reminds me to have a gratitude attitude.

Except for failing at grounding and not writing my book reviews on Goodreads, I feel successful with maintaining the habits I built in July and the strides I have made in this August challenge thus far. The month is not over yet. I remain optimistic. Dear reader, what have you been up to the last 10 days of August? Happiness!

“Nothing sustains motivation better than belonging to the tribe. It transforms a personal quest into a shared one…This is why remaining part of a group after achieving a goal is crucial to maintaining your habits. It’s friendship and community that embed a new identity and help behaviors last over the long run.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits